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If ATM distributors still believed in Santa, they'd ask for attractive lease rates for A, B and C credits, a speedy turnaround time and simple payment plans for their retail clients. Triton Systems, the Long Beach, Miss. manufacturer, is doing its best to give its distributors the jollies with the introduction of Triton Capital, a new leasing program. After considering several options, including forming an in-house leasing division and buying a small leasing company, Triton partnered with Advanta Leasing Services. A subsidiary of Advanta Business Services Corporation, it was selected because of its strong back-end capabilities. The program is part of Triton's effort to become more of a turnkey provider by expanding its service offerings. Another recent enhancement is a revamped Web site with online parts ordering, downloadable software updates and other distributor-friendly features. As any distributor can attest, leasing companies have a frustrating tendency to drift in and out of the ATM business. Ken Paull, Triton's vice president of sales and marketing, believes that this instability is a result of not knowing the market. Understanding the market isn't a problem for Triton, the second-largest ATM manufacturer in the U.S. and leading supplier to the off-site market. "We're sitting in the catbird's seat as far as knowing who the distributors are and what kind of risk they carry," Paull said. Even in the worst case scenario, a merchant and/or distributor defaulting on a lease, Triton has a unique advantage. Paull said the company can refurbish and sell those machines. Quick turnaround is one of Triton Capital's goals. Decisions on deals under $50,000 will be made in four to six hours. "The goal is to fund these in the same day, and the majority will be," Paull said. Distributors often must work with multiple companies in order to handle A, B and C credits. Triton will attempt to solve that problem, Paull said, by offering "aggressive" rates in each category. "With some companies, their rates are not attractive for Bs and Cs because all they want is the cherry accounts in the A category," he said. "We'll have a tiered system with rates that will be more competitive than what you'd typically see for a C." "If Triton will buy C paper on a consistent basis, that will be a very big positive," said Doug Falcone, president of Chatham, N.J.-based Access to Money. "Nobody wants C paper; everybody loves A," agreed Noah Wieder, vice president of sales and marketing for San Diego-based XtraCash ATM. The rates Triton quoted to distributors at its recent conference were "certainly not the cheapest in town, but not the most expensive either," Falcone said. The company hopes the program will facilitate equipment upgrades, whether customers want to move from a 9500 or 9600 to its next generation machine, code named the 9700, or add a new full-motion video topper. "It depends on how creative they get," Wieder said. "They can get pretty creative with a capital partner. They control their own destiny." Perhaps the biggest potential asset, Wieder said, is the enhanced buying power engendered by Triton's partnership with Advanta. "It's the same principle as Wal-Mart. When you can buy so much at once, it gives you extra buying power," he said. "We like the concept. If Triton does what they say they'll do, it'll be great."